Practical information : Eating out Colombia
Timetable
If breakfast(desayuno) is not included in the price of your hotel room, go to a bakery that serves as a cafeteria for a good selection of typical breakfasts at a reasonable price. Panaderias usually open around 7am. Lunch(almuerzo) is around noon, but restaurants serve until 3pm or even all day. Most of the small restaurants open between 11am and 4pm from Monday to Saturday. The restaurants with more elaborate menus usually serve between 12 and 3 pm and between 7 and 9 or 10 pm. Of course, the hours vary from region to region, from city to city and from country to country, depending on the number of tourists. In tourist areas, restaurants stay open on Sundays until around 5pm and close on Mondays; otherwise most restaurants work from Monday to Saturday. In some cities that receive a lot of tourists on weekends, such as Villa de Leyva, most restaurants only open from Friday to Sunday, or Monday if it is a holiday.
Budget & Tips
In popular markets(plazas de mercado) or restaurants, a meal with soup, dish of the day and natural lemonade costs around $6-8,000 (around €2). In more upscale restaurants, thealmuerzo del día runs around $15,000 and the à la carte dishes around $25-30,000, which is still very reasonable. And for the equivalent of €20-30, you can really indulge yourself with inventive recipes fusing Colombian and international flavors.
Dishes are always hearty in Colombia, and it's often possible to ask for leftovers to be packed away if you don't finish your meal. It's also worth noting that hotels without restaurants sometimes allow meals to be delivered. In Colombia, the Rappi company dominates the delivery market , far ahead of Uber Eats and a few others.
What costs extra
Meals generally come with a natural fruit juice. If you'd like water, it will be served in a bottle and charged. Ask for una agua con gas for sparkling water, una agua sin gas for still water. As for bread, it is not automatically served at the table as it is in France, and will be charged as a supplement.
Outside popular restaurants, it's customary to leave 10% of the bill as a tip(propina). You don't usually have to exert yourself, given the friendliness of Colombian waiters. Some high-end establishments include gratuity in the bill (this must be indicated on the menu). In this case, leaving nothing will not be perceived as pettiness. Other establishments do not include the 10%, in which case the waiter may ask you if you wish to include the tip in the bill: ¿Desea incluir el servicio? It's hard to refuse, even if it's your right, when you know how much Colombian restaurant workers earn...
The local way
There's a lot of street food in Colombia. Comida callejera (street food) is widespread in all the liveliest neighborhoods. It's where you treat yourself to a freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning, or guanabana in the afternoon; an arepa (corn cake, simple or topped with eggs or cheese); an empanada (turnover filled with meat, chicken .); sausage(chorizo); corn on the cob(mazorca); pan de bono (guava-filled bread) or oblea (wafer witharequipe, a milk cream similar to Argentine dulce de leche ). Delicate stomachs will have to be careful: hygiene isn't always up to scratch and fried food isn't always easy to digest! On the other hand, there's not much risk of turista when it comes to fruit juices: in towns and villages where the water is undrinkable, vendors use mineral water.
On weekdays, many people are accustomed to having lunch in a restaurant or cafeteria. Daily menus are inexpensive and copious, and service is prompt. The traditional corrientazo was originally intended for workers and other physical labourers. For starters, you can choose between sopa o frutas: soup or small fruit salad. The plato fuerte (main course) consists of carne (beef or pork), pollo (chicken) or pescado(mojarra, pagre, trout, tilapia...), accompanied by rice (coconut in the Caribbean), patacones or papas (potatoes, but rarely fried, in which case they're called papas a la francesa). The little papas criollas are a delight, a must-try! Pasta (usually spaghetti), frijoles (kidney or black beans) or lentejas (lentils) are also on the menu. A tiny salad accompanies everything, and a slice of avocado, or a fried egg. Sweet desserts are not customary, but a fruit compote or a small cake (flan, etc.) is sometimes offered. The meal is always accompanied by a natural fruit juice, and failing that, a gaseosa (soda), never a carafe of water.
The menú ejecutivo is traditionally aimed at office workers, with a little more variety. Be careful with meats, which are generally served very well cooked, even when you specify rare. The food is not too spicy, but you can always ask for a littleaji (chili pepper).
To be avoided
It's not usual for everyone to order their own pizza. Pizza is shared in Colombia. That's why you can easily ask for different ingredients for each half.
Another thing to know, gentlemen: if you're having lunch or dinner with a Colombian woman, don't offer to split the bill! You risk losing a good part of her esteem, as the invitation is implied, especially the first time!
Kids
Children are welcome in restaurants. Colombians are used to taking their families to restaurants, so there's nothing to worry about. High chairs(silla de comer para niños) are often available, as are children's menus.
Smokers
Smoking is not allowed inside the restaurants, but also on the terraces. The non-smoking areas are called Espacio libre de humo.
Tourist traps
Beware of restaurants full of pushers, as this is generally not a good sign...